Hiking her purse up on her shoulder, she began to fiddle with the buttons of her coat. Damn it... she could barely see them. The fact that it was dark outside was not solely to blame, for tears were welling up in her eyes.
She took a deep, steadying breath as she distanced herself from the hotel. It had been awfully brash of her to walk out on them like that, but she wasn't too worried. It wasn't like they couldn't find their way back to their rooms; the restaurant was on the ground floor. And she had seen that look on her parents' faces before. Mildly surprised, a bit hurt, but still sympathetic. They'd get over it.
Now, as for her sister... Lily scowled. Why had she even tagged along? Didn't she have something better to do? Refine her obsessive compulsive syndrome? Clean something? Go cook dinner for Vernon? Vernon this, Vernon that, "at least he's normal."
What the hell was that supposed to mean, anyway?
She blinked a few times, willing the tears to stay put. She'd just have to try and think about something else. Not him. Anything but him, for the moment.
The rain seemed to be the only thing cooperating with her on this chilly evening. Sure, her hair would surely be frizzy and she'd probably catch a cold. But it was a small comfort, at least, to know that it wouldn't rain forever. Things would clear up. Glancing up into the street lamps' light, she felt mesmerized by the sight. It looked as if the rain was slowing down, but judging by theblossoming puddles in the street, it was just an illusion.
That's it, she thought to herself. Just forget about them, him, everyone. She crossed her arms to her chest, wondering how much further she had to go. Not far, she was sure. She had chosen that hotel for her parents for a reason. Just in case something exactly like this happened...
There. Right up ahead, on the corner. Her pace quickened, and as she pushed open the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. The room was lit with feeble candlelight, and filled with the hum of discussion. Maybe notas welcoming asThree Broomsticks, she thought to herself as she moved towards the end of the bar, but it would have to do. She stifled a chuckle, trying to imagine her family's reactions if she had had them stay here. She could handle it, her parents would tolerate it,her sistermight faint.
Tom, the innkeeper, was busy trying to settle a bill with a nasty looking goblin. Lily pulled out a chair at the nearest empty table, and shrugged out of her coat. She unzipped her purse, digging through the bottom. A healthy amount of Galleons were taking up space in her wallet. Right up next to the Muggle money. It was so tempting to throw it away, maybe toss it into the fireplace. Once again, she was struck with the idea of Petunia. Her sister couldn't get over the fact thatVernon made a nice sum, that he was well on his way to owning the company, that they had a nice car and comfortable house. All of it well-earned, she had assured Lily.
Lily hurriedly tried to change her train of thought, telling herself that it was not worth getting upset about. Not worth worrying over.
She pulled her hair back into a loose bun, then reached down the table, pulling a discardedDaily Prophettowards her. Something (strong, judging by the smell) had been spilled on it. She had only gotten through the front page when she felt a hand, its grip gentle but firm, on her shoulder.
A/N: Ho hum. Let me know what you think. Hopefully any and all questions will be answered in one more chapter...